A date?! I know. I was so excited, it had been months and months. Jeff's brother and SIL came over to watch Mia for a couple of hours, and we got to have a kid-free brunch! I had a couple of mimosas (one of which had to be replaced after a wasp dive bombed it), and we got to eat fresh french fries, and no kid repeatedly threw things on the ground! We've been going to River Valley for the couple of meals we've eaten out because it seems like the safest option in our neighborhood. They have plexiglass up to block the patio from the sidewalk, the tables are really well spaced, they require mask-wearing except when you're actually eating, and they are using disposable silverware and plates.
I wore my favorite tank of the summer (I have it in black too!) along with these cute pull-on shorts. This tank is so fun, the little ruffle makes me feel so cute every time I put it on. I'm so used to wearing less fitted tops that having a really fitted tank is a fun change, and it works really well with a pull-on short. A flowy top wouldn't work with these shorts, it would end up feeling sloppy. For these shorts, I'd suggest sizing down one size as they run a little big. If you're in the market for something cute to wear with shorts or skirts, it's currently on an amazing sale (price depends on the color).
I was looking for something on my computer this weekend and realized I never shared these photos, which if I'm remembering correctly, I took back at the beginning of May! Oh poor early quarantine Kristina, she had no idea what was in store.
But, on the plus side, that Kristina decided during a nap time to run around and try to self timer some photos of a top that was, at the time, brand new. It's no longer brand new, but lucky for you, it is now on sale ;) I have been loving it because it is tee shirt material so it's really comfortable and feels casual, but then that lace just takes it up a notch. Just what you need for all of those video calls! It's really beautiful, and goes around the back too.
These also are my favorite shorts of all time. I think I've been wearing them in summer outfit photos since basically the beginning of this blog, because they really are that good. (Awww little 2015 Kristina) The only difference is that this summer, I decided to unroll the hem a little. Apparently Mommy Kristina shows half an inch less leg than 24 year old Kristina.
Wow, we've been talking a lot about various kinds of Kristina.
After just saying it had been nice not trying to shoot outfit photos all the time, it turns out we shot outfit photos! This weekend we were celebrating our wedding anniversary and Father's Day, so we decided to go out to the patio at River Valley for brunch! We hadn't been to a restaurant since March 7th, and it was such a nice change of pace.
I was a little unsure when patios started opening up in Chicago whether I'd feel safe going to one, (especially since the corner bar across the street from us did not seem to be doing a great job with the distancing). But River Valley was awesome! They had plexiglass up to block us from people on the sidewalk, and they did a good job of actually spacing out the tables. Plus for the most part the other patrons did a good job of wearing masks when they weren't eating/drinking. Brunch tasted that much better since we've been cooking at home so much. I had to get french fries since those just aren't the same when you order takeout!
Of course, I personally was super excited to have a reason to get a little dressed up and take my new sandals and bag out for a spin. My dress is from last fall (sorry it's old!!) but it's weirdly one of those dresses that works well in the spring, summer, or fall. I don't pick dresses often with Mia in tow, shorts are usually just more practical. But breaking out this dress made the occasion that much more fun.
Here are a few more pretty dresses for summer:
Are you still social distancing, or are you starting to go out and see people more?
Oh hiiiiiii!! Have you missed the STYLE part of this life & style blog?! It's actually been nice not to shoot outfits every weekend, but I do kinda miss it. I've been sharing a lot of my daily outfits on Instagram Stories instead, and thought I'd round up a few of them here for you. Good news - J.Crew and Madewell are allowing me to link stuff again, so I can share a lot more direct links than I've been sharing on Instagram!
Tee (or similar) / Shorts (I unrolled these once to get a tiny bit more length) / Mia's Romper (it came with pretty terrible bows, I snipped them off!) / Mia's Hair Bow
My best quarantine purchase - a super soft romper for lounging! Would also be cute with a denim jacket and sandals for running errands. Go down a size!
I was having a total nothing to wear moment last weekend. There wasn't anything new and exciting in there, and I was several days past definitely needing to do laundry. But instead of flailing around, I spied these leopard espadrilles and challenged myself to build an outfit around them.
The next time you look in your closet and think, "I have nothing to wear," try combining things you normally wouldn't. A white tee and white shorts might look odd on their own, but with a third piece over the top they all the sudden are an outfit.
We've also been going a little crazy over here because Mia is starting daycare next week. I swear I cried a little bit typing that. The daycare situation in Chicago is a little crazy - you put down (non-refundable) deposits at a bunch of places just hoping that one of them will have a spot open up around when you need it and that there aren't 10 other babies in line in front of you. I was starting to get worried Mia wouldn't actually get into any of the daycares and we'd have to scramble to figure something else out. But, two weeks ago we ended up getting a call that there was a spot opening and she needed to start right away to hold the spot! I ended up negotiating that back a little, so she will be going part-time for the next month until I go back to work. I'm super sad about it - partially because she's starting so much earlier than she needs to, and partially because I don't really want her in daycare at all. I just can't quite imagine that someone else will be with her all day, and I'll just see her for an hour before bedtime. Seriously going to cry just writing about it. I know it's what makes sense for our family right now though, so we are at least going to try it and see how we do. I'm sure Mia is going to happily fly right into her teachers arms every day and I'll be the only one freaking out ;)
The Outfit
So, anyway, should we talk about this outfit a little bit?
How freaking cute is this little dress? I added it to my cart on a whim, thinking it was most likely going back, but the second I tried it on I knew I had to keep it. The stripes and the cut are just so flattering! And it's not often that I find a button down dress that works on my figure without pulling. I also love that it's nursing friendly. Oh, and this is a weird one, but a lot of dresses have too large of arm holes for me so my bra ends up showing out the side - not here! I apologize for how long it took me to show this one to you because there are just a few sizes left, so snag it while you can! The only bad on this one is that the fabric wrinkles pretty easily. It doesn't really bother me (I'm just excited to be dressed at all these days!) but it's something to keep in mind.
And I'm still freaking loving these sandals. They are from Target (yes!) and were only $20 and are surprisingly comfortable! I actually only brought one pair of sandals with for our 10-day trip to Minneapolis / Wisconsin and these went with everything - my rehearsal dinner dress, my shorts and tee shirts, and my swimsuit. Win win win.
These earrings have been my favorite this summer - I love the natural rattan + white combo! But Mia just got really good at grabbing this week (she ripped my glasses right off my face!) so I think it's time to retire the big earrings for a while. My aunt showed me her ripped earlobe when I was a kid and the thought of it still freaks me out to this day. Bye earrings, I'll miss you!
